Chapter 4 – Nin-trepreneurship
Daiko's dreams that night were filled with possibilities. He saw himself as a powerful shinobi, a wealthy entrepreneur, a daring gambler, and even the husband of a rich heiress. Every scenario served as motivation, strengthening his resolve. When the rooster's crow echoed through the dawn, he rose with the sun, ready to embrace his new life.
His first course of action was to add to his wealth, and consequently, his chakra pool. Money equals chakra, and chakra equals power. If I don't find a consistent stream of income I won't be unable to even start training his chakra, and there's no way in heck I'm going to train like those green leotard freaks, he thought as the image of himself in a green jumpsuit with overgrown eyebrows sent a shiver down his spine. But, if I can't get out of this orphanage I won't be able to start any businesses. How can I convince Ms. Nono to let me out? Let's worry about that after breakfast, he thought as his stomach rumbled.
The food in the orphanage was underwhelming. Breakfast was often a simple meal consisting of rice, some pickled vegetables, and an occasional egg. Daiko missed the breakfasts of his previous life, he would kill for a breakfast taco right about now. Hmmm, that might work. Before my accident, I was a pretty good cook. Daiko walked into the dining room and saw Ms. Aiko was still setting up breakfast. "Morning, Ms. Aiko!" he shouted as he ran up to her.
"Good morning, Daiko," she said as she saw the adolescent running up to her. In the time she had known Daiko she had come to understand Daiko's character and he was only ever this excited when he wanted something. "What do you want now Daiko?"
"Why do you think I want something?" he asked feigning innocence. Ms. Aiko rolled her eyes as she easily saw through his act. "Well, you see, can I go shopping with you later? I figured out what I want to spend my money on."
Ms. Aiko was stunned, in the time she had known Daiko, he was always collecting money, but he had never spent any of it. She smiled, this was the first time Daiko was acting like a child his age should. "Sure, what do you want to get?"
"I want to get some real food."
"Sure, I'll take you to a restaurant when I go shopping."
"No Ms. Aiko, I don't want to go to a restaurant. I want to cook it myself."
"I'm sorry Daiko, but I can't. The other kids might be upset if they see you eating something they can't have."
"What if I buy enough to share with everyone?"
Ms. Aiko looked at him suspiciously. "You do know that's going to cost more money, right?"
"I guess," he said as he shrugged his shoulders. Daiko was planning on testing multiple recipes so having more feedback would help him progress faster. However, Ms. Aiko didn't trust Daiko's intentions as she stood there giving him a questioning look. "Ms. Aiko I'll buy enough for everyone, trust me."
"Daiko there are a lot of adjectives I would use to describe you but generous is not one of them. Greedy? Sure, Miserly? Yes, but generous? " she said.
"Ms. Aiko, money is meant to be spent and it just so happens that I've been saving up so I can throw a big party," Daiko lied.
"I don't want to deal with this, you can come shopping with me after breakfast if you promise to buy enough food for everyone," she said as she went back to setting the table.
"Thank you, Ms. Aiko," he shouted as his little body hugged her legs.
"No problem, Daiko," she said with a warm smile, "now go wash your face and get ready for breakfast."
Daiko went to wash up as he started thinking about ingredients. Meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, spices, and tortillas. Do they have tortillas here? Hmmm, that shouldn't be too hard to make though. Wait, how do I explain how I came up with the recipe? I guess I can't use tortillas yet. Maybe it should just be an onigiri then, that could work.
After breakfast, Daiko found Ms. Aiko and accompanied her to the marketplace. It was bustling with sellers hawking their goods and buyers bargaining for better deals. There were the scents of different cuisines and kids trying to get their parents to buy them these treats, Daiko imagined that soon enough these kids would be begging their parents to buy them one of his tacos. Walking past the different stalls, Daiko carefully selected his ingredients. Each component was chosen with precision, and soon he had everything he needed.
The sun had reached its peak, its intense heat causing the ground to radiate in waves when the duo returned to the orphanage with an empty wallet. Daiko was exhausted but thrilled as he now had the ingredients to start the first stage of his plan. Daiko went around and asked the idler orphans if they could help him cook in exchange for food, unaware that he would've had to give them food regardless. And soon the orphanage was filled with the rich aroma of cooking. Daiko, with his sleeves rolled up and a glint in his eye, worked tirelessly as he managed his crew of child workers. He experimented with different spice mixtures and combinations, seeking the perfect balance of flavors. However, he knew that all of this work would be useless if he couldn't convince Ms. Nono to fund his first food cart.
Daiko was doing his best to get his ragtag crew of orphans as excited as possible about the onigiri tacos as he started planting ideas in their heads. "You have the greatest knife skills I've ever seen. You could definitely make money doing this," he told one child. "Your rolling skills are so cool. I wish I could do it as well as you," he told another. "I didn't know someone could be so skilled washing dishes," he told a brimming young girl. "You could be a professional garbage man," he sang to a happy child throwing out the trash. Daiko even gathered all of the orphanage workers so they could see how hard everyone was working and how happy they were.
"That smells really good kids," Ms. Nono said. "What do you call this, Daiko?"
"I call it 'The Dako,'" he said shamelessly.
"This is such a good dako," Ms. Aiko praised.
"That's the breakfast dako, it's my favorite too. But I made enough for everyone, I'm going to get the rest of the kids so they can taste it too," he said as he skipped away.
"Ms. Aiko, why don't you set the dining room so we can all eat together?"
"Yes, Ms. Nono," she answered.
The day Daiko's dish was met with cheers of delight was the day he knew he was onto something big. He had succeeded. The kids at the orphanage practically inhaled his meat-filled onigiri, their faces lighting up with pleasure. He watched them, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. Seeing the other kids enjoy the food, Ms. Aiko expressed her admiration for Daiko's determination and skill. "You've done well, Daiko," she said, patting him on the head. "You've made everyone here so happy."
Basking in the praise, Daiko thanked her. Yet, his mind was already racing ahead. He envisioned a chain of bustling food carts throughout the village, offering this new delicacy to all of Konoha. It was a tantalizing thought – one that brought him closer to his goal. Though Daiko had a dream, a product, and a soon-to-be willing workforce, he had yet to secure the most crucial element in starting a business: funding. It was time for him to convince Ms. Nono, the orphanage director, to finance the first food cart.
Daiko knew that convincing Ms. Nono would be no easy task. She was a practical woman, not given to flights of fancy. Moreover, the orphanage ran on a tight budget, and he was asking her to invest in something unproven. However, he was also confident in his idea and believed in its potential. He had the numbers, he had the plan, and most importantly, he had the ambition. While Daiko was overseeing the preparation he had been working on his pitch, calculating potential profits, and drawing up a detailed business plan. He wanted to show Ms. Nono that this wasn't just a whimsical idea, but a well-thought-out venture that could truly benefit the orphanage.
After everyone finished eating Daiko walked up to Ms. Nono was about to leave the dining room. "Ms. Nono," he began, "I have a proposition for you." He laid out his plan in a clear, concise manner, explaining how the food cart business would work, who would be involved, and most importantly, how it would generate profits.
The room was silent as he finished, the only sound being the gentle ticking of the clock on the wall. He held his breath as he watched Ms. Nono's face for a reaction. Finally, she sighed and looked at him.
"Daiko, this is a lot to take in," she began. "You've certainly done your homework, but it's a big risk. We can't afford to lose any money on ventures that might not pan out."
He nodded, understanding her concerns. "I know it's a risk, Ms. Nono. But isn't life itself a risk? We learn from trying, from doing, and even from failing. This is a chance not only to make money but to teach the other children valuable skills that could benefit them in the future."
"That's right! I want to be professional garbage," one child yelled however, no one knew what this child was talking about. Daiko pretended not to know what the child meant as he ignored the child as hard as he possibly could.
She looked at him for a long moment. "You're not like other children, Daiko," she said finally. "Your determination and ambition... they're admirable. But you must understand, the orphanage can't afford losses."
Daiko knew this was his moment to convince her. "Ms. Nono, I understand your concerns. But consider this - what if we succeed? This could be a new source of income for the orphanage. It could improve our lives, help us stand on our own feet. Plus, the others are excited about it. They want to learn, they want to contribute. They want to feel useful."
After a long pause, Ms. Nono sighed. "I'll consider it, Daiko," she said, looking at him with a thoughtful expression. "I need to think about it, weigh the pros and cons."
"Ms. Nono, how about this, if the business fails when I become a ninja I will pay you back 10 times more money than you invested," he said.
"Since when have you wanted to be a ninja, Daiko?" Ms. Aiko asked.
"Since always, have I not mentioned it before?"
"I don't think you've ever said anything about that Daiko," Ms. Nono said quizzically. In her mind, she always thought Daiko was smart and she always thought he was going to be a wealthy merchant.
"That's awesome! I want to be a ninja too, Daiko!" Naruto yelled.
"We all know that Naruto," Daiko replied. "Ms. Nono how about this, me and Naruto will both work together to pay off any losses from the business?"
"Naruto and I," Ms. Aiko corrected him.
"Why do I have to pay too?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Because you're my best friend and you really want to support me with my dreams," Daiko replied instantly.
Tears welled up in Naruto's eyes as he was surprised to hear Daiko call him his best friend. No one in the orphanage treated Naruto, as well as Daiko treated him, "of course I'll support you, Daiko. Ms. Nono, if the business fails Daiko and I will pay you back 100 times the losses together!"
"Stop negotiating Naruto, I can't afford that, ten times is good enough," Daiko chided.
Ms. Nono hadn't seriously considered it when Daiko told her he would pay her back ten times her investment, however, the kyuubi jinchuriki would no doubt be an S-rank shinobi who would be able to afford that. "Are you boys willing to sign a contract?" Ms. Nono said with an evil grin on her face.
"I would, if I get 75% of the profit," Daiko shot back.
"30%" Ms. Nono countered.
"60%"
"40%"
"50%"
"Deal, the Dakos were really good," Ms. Nono replied as she stretched out her hand.
A wave of relief and excitement washed over Daiko. He nodded vigorously, "Yes, Ms. Nono, I understand, and I promise you won't regret this.
She nodded back at him, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I believe you, Daiko. I really hope this works out. Let's make a success of this venture, not just for us, but for all the children in the orphanage."
As she stepped out of the kitchen, a cheer erupted from the other children who were anxiously watching the negotiation. The orphanage was filled with an air of celebration, a feeling of hope that things were about to change, and Daiko was at the center of it all.
His ambitious plan was now a reality. There was no turning back, only looking forward to the exciting journey that lay ahead. He couldn't wait to roll up his sleeves and get started. After all, the road to wealth was just beginning.
